Germany's media continues to bore with incessantly repetitive tales of spies in the former DDR. But it is becoming apparent that one real spy story, set in the present, features Germany's largest bank in the starring role. Deutsche Bank reportedly faces possible criminal charges for spying on two of the bank's board of directors.
Previously, phone company Deutsche Telekom and rail giant Deutsche Bahn reportedly engaged in spying.
Mouths are agape all across Europe following approval by the EU of still tougher Bush policies against Iran. Opposition leaders are doubtlessly making careful notes as Bush again ratches his alliance closer to war. Those who nodded their approval to the US president's plans include leaders who could easily be out of a job if their voters notice what they've done. After a day in Slovenia, Bush flew on to Germany, where Merkel feted him to an outdoor grill party. Considering that the Bush arguments against Iran include quotes from Iraian leaders that the Americans call war-like, it is very odd that Bush and other praised an Israeli leader who says war against Iran is becoming inevitable.
Germans are showing themselves to be much more like citizens of other EU countries than many imagined. 
Currently they are so fed up with the two biggest political parties that they are ditching them in droves. A survey for ARD television found nearly three-quarters of all German voters dissatisfied with the CDU - SPD coalition that is governing the country. The SPD, social democrats by name, have lost 6.2 million voters since 2005; the christian democrat CDU is down by 2.4 million supporters. Both parties - and big chunks of Germany's no-changes-ever media - are upset by gains made by the Linke - left - party, though there is no dramatic increase so far.
The key fact is that Germans are sick and tired of parties that have had control of their country for years, currently in a coalition more frequently in opposition to each other. Voters are looking for new parties with fresh ideas and leaders with passion who will transform the fresh ideas into highly opeh new government policies. Hmm, that's about the same as voters are looking for everywhere. See? The CDU and SPD have told us for years that Germans are strange, but that their two big parties will keep the Germans from ever freaking out. It's called bullshit.
More than eighteen years have passed since West Germany annexed East Germany. An entire generation of Germans has no recollection of life in two sovereign countries, one which was blotted out when annexation was accomplished. And yet, crusty, unreformed, old-line German media continues to headline one after another report about alleged cooperation with the Stasi, former East Germany's spy service.
No other so-called democracy gets away with recycling frequently questionable, sometimes patently false claims that are two decades old or even older, without the consumers of media rising up and saying, "enough." The latest claims, like so many over the past eighteen years, are against Gregor Gysi, a popular political figure who is part of the leadership in Germany's Linke party.
If there were a gram of sincerity in the media's eagerness to go after the Stasi so long after its demise, then the media would be clamoring at last to go after the Nazi party and Nazi government influences on post-war German political affairs. Names would be named events would be detailed, facts would grab the headlines at last.
